Rotary sheet-printing machine.



E. P. SHBLDON.

ROTARY SHEET PRINTING MAGHlNE.

APPLIUATION FILED rm.5,191

L y@ Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

l SHEETS-SHEET l..

E. P. SHELDON. ROTARY SHEET PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

-NNN

E. I. SHRLDON,

ROTARY SHEETPmNTNGMAGHLNE. APPLUATION FILED FEB. 5, w10.

i SHBETSWSHEET 3.

INVENTOR 4P. SHI

LDON'.

www SHEET PRINTING Mmmm).

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 5, H110.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

- SHBETS-SHBET 4,

UNITED N sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

EDWARD P. SHELDON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO R. HO'E AND C0., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ROTARY SHEET-PRINTING MACHINE.

Specieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18,1913.

To all whom t may concern:

B e it known that I, EDWARD P. SHELDON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of Kings, and State ofil N ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Sheet-Printing Machines, fully described and represented in the following specification and the. accompanying drawings, forming a part of: the same. l

` This invention relates to certain improvements in printing machines.

The invention has for its object to produce a high speed sheet-fed printing ma` chine in which accurate register of the sheets is maintained and which is capacitated to produce a large product.

With this and other objects not specifically referred to in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and in certain parts, improvements and combinations as will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically pointed out.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one form of mechanism in which the invention may be embodied. Fig. 2 is a lan view of one end of a sheet carrying cy inder', illustrating more particularly a form of gripper operating mechanism w lich may be employed. Fig. 3 is a sectional View illustrating the gripper operating mechanism shown in Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views illustrating the sheet feeding operation. Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating a mechanism for delivering the sheets which may be employed. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of Fig.` 3. Figs. 8, 9` and 10 are detail views illustrating the operation of the sheet taking mechanism.

Referring to the drawings which illus-1 trate' a machine selected as one embodiment of the invention, 1 indicates the sheet carrying or impression cylinder of a rotary printing couple, said cylinder being mounted on a shaft 2. The coperating member of the .couple consists, in the machine illustrated, lof a printing cylinder 3 `mounted `on a shaft 4, the cylinder deriving its `ink from an inking battery or mechanism 5 of the usual ty e. While `the sheets printehr by this coup e may be delivered in any lde-1 delivered by means of the delivery cylinder 6 mounted on a shaft 7.

Machines .embodying the invent-ion are intended .to print on sheets and the construction will be such that the sheets will be fed to the sheet carrying 'cylinder of the couple at separated but closely adjacent points. The sheet feeding mechanism employed may be varied widely in construction.- As shown, the sheets are fed from two automatically operated sheet feeders, the sheet supporting tables of which are marked 9 and 10. The sheets from these tables are combed outand fed forward b cylinders 11 and are eventually delivere to tape rolls, indicated at 12, 13. The particular construction by which the sheets are fed has no relation to the invention, and the particular construction of sheet feeding mechanism does not, therefore, need to be specifically described. The illustration is intended simply to indicate diagrammatically that automatic sheet feeders may be employed, though, of course, it is obvious that sheets might be fed by hand, if desired. In the particular construction illustrated,the sheets move through pathways, the upper pathway being indicated by the rolls 14 andthe lower pathway by the rolls l5, 16, to the sheet taking devices on the cylinder l. These pathways will be arranged to deliver the sheets to the cylinder at points which are separated from each other but closely adjacent, this being effected, in the particular construction.illustrated, by causing the pathways to converge. While the distance apart at which the sheets are delivered'may vary, they should be delivered within the same quadrant of the revolution of the cylinder. In the best constructions involving the invention, the sheets will be brought to register before being taking by the sheet takingcylinder. Whlle this registering operation may be accomplished in various ways, as shown, the upper pathway delivers to sheet registering stops 17 and the lower pathway to sheet registering stops 18. These stopsmay be of the usual type wellknown in the art, and a specific description 'waried in construction, but in machines .which embody the invention in its best form,

sired way, 1n the machine shown', they are: 1these devices will consist of grippers. When tion of the operating devices therefor may be varied within wide limits. As shown,

vthese grippers, marked 19, Aare mounted on a shaft 20 carried in arms 21 mounted on a rock-shaft 22 journaled in the ends of the cylinder. This rockshaft, in the particular construction shown, fis provided with an operating arm 23 carrying a stud or roll 24. rl`he shaft 20 is, in the particular construction illustrated, provided with an operating arm 25 which carries a stud or roll 26. As shown, the shaft 20 is also provided with another operatingarm, shown as a toothed segment l27 which meshes with a similar segment- 2 8 mounted ona stud 29, this segment having an operating arm 30 to which a spring rod construction 31 of the usual type is connected.

Where, as in the machine shown, a single set of sheet taking devices is employed to take sheets at dierent pointsof the revolution of the cylinder, it is necessary, of course, to provide means for effecting the sheet taking operation at these different points. This may be accomplished in various Ways. In the particular construction illustrated, the operating devices include cams which have their positions shiftedor varied to effect the sheet taking operation. As shown, the'roll 26vcoperates with a cam l 32 bolted or'otherwise secured to. a segment shaped piece 33 extending from a collar 34 loosely mounted on the lshaft 2 of the cylinder/l. The roll 24 coperates with a two* part cam 35-36, the part 36 being provided with feet 37 (see Figs. 2 and 7) by which it is secured to the frame ofthe machine. The part 35 of the cam is secured yby a screw 38, or in any other suitable manner, to the segment shaped piece 33 before referred to. It will be understood that the roll 24 is broad enough to runon both arts 35, 36 of the cam. It is obvious `thaty swinging the collar 3.4 and the segment shaped piece 33 about the-shaft, the position of the operating cams 32,'35 may be varied.` `The Swingin of the segment shaped piece 33, when this form of mechanism is adopted for carrying the invention into effect, may be accomplished by `any suitable mechanism. In the construction illustrated, `there is provided' a two-armed lever 43-44 loosely mounted on the shaft 2. The huby of the two-armed lever 43-44 is provided with teeth 47 which mesh with teeth on a segment v 48 fast on a short shaft 49 mounted in the frame of the machine. This shaft 49 has a toothed segment 50 mounted thereon, theV teeth of which mesh with teeth- 51 formed on one of the arms 52 o-f a bell-crank lever 52-53, this lever being pivoted on a stud 54 mounted in the machine frame. The arm*` y the' groove 56Min a" cam 57, mounted on the cylinder shaft 2 and suitably driven. The arm 44 of the two-armed lever has connected to it a spring rod construction, the rod 58 of this construction passing through a boss 58" on the arm 44 and being provided with nuts 58". The other end of this rod is secured at 59 to the segmentshaped piece 33 before referred to.

With the construction as described and referring to Fig. 8, at which time the grippers are about to take asheet from the stop 17, it will be seen that the roll 24 is vabout to run off the cain 35 and that the roll26 is about to run up onto the cam' 32.y When the yroll 24 has run off the camI 35 and theroll 26 has run up onto the cam 32, the `grippers 19 will be raisedout of t-he cylinler, and into taking position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, this operation being permitted by reason of the fact that the ends of the shaft 20y on which these grippers are mounted are ylocated in slots 60 in the ends of the cylinder.

As the roll 26 runs off thevcam 32, the spring rod construction 31 causes the grippers to snap down into the position shown in Fig. 9, and thus close upon the sheet, .the stop. 17 being raised, as usualI in sheet feeding constructions, to' permit the sheet to be taken.

It will be understood that the grippers must operate very quickly and to avoid making the gripper operating cam too abrupt, it may 'be desirable to move the cam from under theA roll 26, thereby permitting a quicker action of the grippers than .if thel rotation of the cylinder was allowed to carry the roll 26 o" the cam. To efectfthis there may be provided a collar 34 `having' teeth 39, these teeth meshing with teeth 4() on a bell-crank lever 41-42 pivoted on a stud 42-l fast on the arm 43 of the two-armedflever 43-44. The arm 42 carries al roll 45 4farranged to contact with a cam 46 fast oiithe cylinder. As the roll 26reaches. theslijigh ico part of the cam 32, the high part'ofthe acall 110 46 which is fast on the cylinderstri-kes'fthe roll 45 and rocks the bell-crank lever :414-42 y which` gives the collar 34 a slight .rotating movement which causes the segment shaped piece-33 to move backward slightly with re;I

spect to the direction of rotation ofy the. cylinder, this movement carryiiigthe c'am 32 o-ut from under the roll `26, ithus'assuring a very quick action of the zgrippers. The

movement of the vcollar 34' is resisted by thevspring rodv construction 58` before referred to, which returns the parts to their normal position after the grippers have closed. The sheet is nowcarried around, printed and-de .livered The delivery of the sheet may be effected in any suitable .mannern In the particular construction shown (see'Figs. 1 .and 6) -it is delivered, vas before indicated, ,by adelivery cylinder 6,.thiswcylinderbeing provided with grippers 61 which take the nominee leading end of the sheet The grippere 19 are opened by a cam 62 fast to the part B6 .of the two part cam 535-736. After the grippers are opened to release the sheet, they are drawn back into the cylinder by a cam surface 63 formed on the lower end of the part 36 of the two-part cam. rlhis surface 63cooperates with the roll 24. The grippers are now to take a` sheet from the `stop 18, but in order to do this, it is apparent .that they must be opened earlier in the revolution of the cylinder than theywere when they took the sheet from the stop 17. The cam 57 accordingly comes into operation and rocks the lever 52--53 which, through the connections before described, rocks the shaft 49 and the LON/.hed segment 48 which is in mesh withl the teeth 47 on the hub of the two? armed lever 43-44 and swings this lever about the shaft 2 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 10. The rod of the spring rodl construction which has been heretofore described as connecting the arm 44 and the segment shaped piece 33 draws this piece, carrying the cam 32 and the part 35 of the two-part cam 35-36, backward with respect to the rota-` tion of the cylinder into the position shown in Fig. 10. In this position, it will be apparent that the rolls 24 and 26 will cooperate earlier with the ca-ms 32, 35-36, and the same is true of the quickening bellcrank 41-42. A sheet will, therefore, be

`taken from the stop 1.8. The sheet is taken,

carried forward, printed and delivered, after which the shifting mechanism for the gripper operating cam comes into operation and brings this operating mechanism back into the position shown in Fi 3, thus enabling the next sheet to be ta ren from the stop 17.

In the particular construction illustrated, it is desirable to feed the sheets to the cylinder in such a manner that the sheets from one source will not interfere with the taking of the sheets from the other source. In the particular construction illustrated, this is accomplished by timing the action of the feeders, so that the sheets are sent away from the tables alternately with respect to each other, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5.

In these figures, the sheets from the upper source or table are indicated by the broken lines and the sheets from the lower source or table are indicated by the full lines.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the cylinder 1 has taken a sheet from the upper surface which has been carried around and partially printed and `is ready for delivery by the cylinder 6, and the sheet from the lower source has come into osition ready to be taken by the grippers. n Fig.

5, the sheet from the lower source has been taken by the cylinder l and is being carried around and the sheet from the upper source has come into position to lbe taken by the grippers. The sheets are timed in such a way that each sheet is at rest during 4the time it takes half the length of .the preceding sheet to pass around the cylinder. This gives sufficient time to insure the accurate register of the sheets against the stops 17, 18. It will be understood that in many machines of this character, the register must be practically absolutely exact, that is, witht in what is known as a t hair line.\ By feeding and bringing the sheets to rest against the stops in the manner described, time for this accurate register is obtained and is obtained without interfering with i other way, it enables a cylinder to be employed the circumference of which is substantially no greater than the length of the printing plates it is desired to employ. Further, by employing a plurality of feeds a' very large product can be obtained. In fact, the speed of the cylinder need bc limited only by its capacity to produce the character of work desired.

Changes and variations may be made in the construction by which the invention is carried into effect. The invention is not, therefore, to be confined to the particular construction herein shown and described.

What is claimed is 1. rBhe combination with the sheet carrying cylinder of a printing cou le, of means for delivering sheets from di erent sources to the same sheet carrying surface on the cylinder at different but closely adjacent points, sheet taking devices on the cylinder, and means for causing said devices to take the sheets at said points.

2. The combination with the sheet carrying cylinder of a printing cou le, of means for delivering sheets from di erent sources to the same sheet carrying surface on the cylinder at different but closely adjacent points, grippers on the cylinder, operating devices therefor, and means for effecting the operation of said devices to cause the grippers to take the sheets at said points.

3. The combination with the sheet carrying cylinder of a printing coule, of means for delivering sheets from diiierent sources to the same sheet carrying surface on the cylinder at different but closely adjacent points, grippere on the cylinder', means including an actuator for operating the grippers,` and means for causlng the actuator 1in i iis` iso

` izo-,operate the grippers', to take the sheets "at'said points., ,4. The combination with a rotary printing ,couple, of means for delivering sheets nlsuocession from different sources to one of the cylindersvat different but closely adjacent points, a sin le set of sheet taking devices, and means. 0r operating the sheet -talang'devices to cause them to take the "sheets lairone ,point on one revolution of the cylinder, and fat the other points on the succeedin` revolutions of the cylinder. 4 y59T e combination with a rotary print- -ng7c0up1e, of means for delivering sheets 15 in; 's 'coession from different sources to one of the cylinders at di'erent but closely adjacent points', a single set of sheet taking grippers, and means for operating the sheet takmg grippers to cause them to take the sheets at one point on one revolution of the cy1inder,anfl at the other point-s on the succeeding revolutions of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto Het my hand, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDWARD P. siinnooiv.`

Witnessescl F. W. H. CRNE, Lonts ROEHM.

i' @oplet of thi'patentmy be obtaiiied for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner lof latents,

Washington, D; C. 

